3 thoughts that residents should avoid YES OR YES

Internal medicine residency training is demanding, and residents may experience a wide variety of professional and personal difficulties. Therefore, there are thoughts that residents should avoid.

So, here are 3 thoughts you may run into while in medical residency and how to handle them.

3 thoughts that residents should avoid YES OR YES

fear of making mistakes

Residency can be a scary time for new trainees. Although you will work under the supervision of treating physicians, you will have much more freedom and responsibility in caring for patients than you ever did as a medical student. The impact of your decisions, both good and bad, will be much greater.

This dynamic can lead to decision paralysis. Inevitably, you will find yourself in situations where the next step in management is unclear. In these contexts, with so much at stake in your decisions, it is not uncommon to be afraid of making mistakes.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. A healthy level of fear can help temper overly aggressive driving instincts and can help ensure patient safety. But at the same time, the fear of making mistakes to the point of indecision can keep your patients from getting the care they need.

imposter syndrome

With all the new challenges you’ll face in residence, there will be times when you feel overwhelmed. Faced with such challenges, some residents may persistently doubt their clinical abilities, a phenomenon known as impostor syndrome.

As defined in a jama articleImpostor syndrome is a psychological term that refers to a pattern of behavior in which people (even those with adequate external evidence of success) doubt their abilities and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. While it disproportionately affects women and minorities, Stanford Medicine notes, anyone can develop impostor syndrome.

As with the fear of making mistakes, harboring some degree of doubt can be a good thing. Self-doubt can stimulate intellectual curiosity, leading to useful medical knowledge. It can also lead clinicians to ask their colleagues for help when they are unsure how to proceed in difficult clinical situations. Both of these things can protect the well-being of your patients.

The need to show off

While some may respond to resident issues, such as fear of making mistakes or impostor syndrome, by shutting down, others may jump in the opposite direction, taking every opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

By the time you get to residency, you will have spent thousands of hours preparing to become a doctor. You should be proud of your accomplishments, but you should also strive for modesty. You will frequently meet patients, their families, and their colleagues in emotionally charged clinical settings. Maintaining humility is essential to successfully navigate these stressful environments.